Shadow
by Fulcrum Potter
Summary: I used to live on the streets all I had was my slugs. Honestly that used to be enough. I used to think that I didn't need anything else but I was wrong the Shane Gang proved that to me. When my home cavern was destroyed I made myself promise that I wouldn't get Attached to anyone that I was fine by my own. The Shane Gang gave me something I had been missing for too long. A Family.
1. Endangered Species

**Chapter 1**

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Leila. Happy Birthday to you."

It happened on my twelfth birthday, I remember my parents had given me two blasters that attached to my wrists **(Danna Por's blasters).** I never received a slug from them as I already had my own.

I remember we had just started eating cake when blaster fire started and homes were destroyed.

"Run Leila. Use Zillah and don't turn back no matter what."

Zillah was my best slug and one of a kind, well I haven't found anything like him yet. He was almost all black except for the green markings on his back and the top of his head. Though he was pretty good in battles I mainly used him for stealth as he could turn me into a shadow. It wasn't exactly like teleporting but I might as well be only someone who knew what they were looking for would be able to find us.

I could still hear their screams they always followed me. My cavern was small I mean really small there was only about 14 families there. With a cavern so small and with only one slinger the place was an easy target to anyone not to mention Blakk.

Though what they wanted I'm not sure they blew the whole thing up. Our town had nothing special and it was almost always dark. Whatever they wanted either was never there or was long gone.

No one survived none of them had a chance either they were killed by Blakk or the falling ceiling killed them now it's just a pile of rocks no goes there, well no ever used to go there anyway. A small town like that wasn't enough to draw attention even if the roof fell in. No one asked why it happened, no one cared.

It's been 6 years since my home was destroyed and I've changed physically and mentally. My dark blue hair that my mum used to always put up in pigtails was rarely brushed and kept up in a halo braid so it didn't get it the way. My Bright coloured clothing was now gone and replaced with black pants, a long sleaved off the shoulder black top with fingerless gloves and on top of that was a grey off the shoulder top and the sleaves reach just below my elbow. Though the main reason I wore these clothes was so I could sneak up on someone without relying on Zillah all the time.

Mentally I had change a lot when I was younger I used to love slugs and always dreamed of having a slug slinging team. I was always so bubbly and trusted pretty much everyone, I guess that's what you get for living in a small town, but now days not so much my trust is pretty much impossible to earn. I still love my slugs, that would never change, but I wasn't as much of a team player as I used to be. The less you get attached the less you hurt.

There were few things I cared for anymore, my slugs were one of them. All I knew is that I wanted Blakk gone and I needed to survive. To do that I needed the best slugs and money so I usually took any job I could to get some money. Without it I'd have no food clothes a place to stay. My parents didn't exactly have time to give me anything before they died.

"Yeah, yeah, we're almost there," I said to my aquabeak, Penwu, who had been spraying water in my face since I left my house. I had been on the slug net looking for a job when I sure that someone had sighted the enigmo slug. Despite not having the money to get a mecha I was able to use tugio, my hoverbug to get there.

I could see quite a few people down in the forest destroying the trees I just rolled my eyes ate them, it's not like it'll make it easier to find the enigmo.

I made my way down quickly and set out in the opposite direction as the crazy thugs tearing down the forest and if the slug was smart it would be doing the same thing. Of course, there was the small chance were the slug won't be smart and head straight towards the danger but I know I'll probably end up with it anyway.

I hadn't been walking long before I heard some screams coming from were those thugs were early. Just keep on walking it's none of my business, just keep on walking. "No Zillah we're not… wait was that slug fire? Hey, come back!" I yelled as Zillah hopped of my shoulder and started walking towards the fire. "No come back you stupid little slug," Zillah didn't stop so I had no choice but to go after him well I did kinda have a choice but my slugs are pretty much always right sooo.

"You want this slug, well here it comes," one guy said who I recognised as Eli Shane. Wait did he just fire the enigmo slug. I saw someone else redirect it back at him with an arachnet.

I ran up to the two kids. "Nice job Shane you should know better than to fire at someone with a slug you don't know how to use," I said. "And who would you be?" the girl asked. "I don't think that's any of your business pigtails."

"Hey Shane, could you watch were you're going," I say when Eli bumps in to me. "Well I would but I can't really see at the moment," he replies. "Oh, you've got to be joking. It must have been the enigma slug." Well I couldn't really leave now, I earn I may not be a team player but I'm not going to leave some guy alone with a guy like Stalker after him.

"Where'd they go?" a cave troll asked as he ran up towards us "wait who are you?" "My names no importance of you. I suggest we get out of here before he comes back."

"Pronto would feel a lot better if he knew your name?" the molenoid said. "I've already told you a hundred times it's none of your business." "You know as unpleasant as you seem it looks like were stuck together so it would make easier if we all knew each other's names," pigtails said.

I had never liked giving personal information even if it was just my name but it was really annoying me not being able to put a name to their faces. "Shadow," I say. "something tells me that isn't your real name," Eli says. "No, but it means the same thing." "Well then I'm-" Eli started but I quickly cut him off. "Eli Shane, I know." I turn towards pigtails waiting for a name it takes her a while but she eventually says "Trixie, the molenoid is Pronto and the cave troll's Kord." "Nice to meet you," wait what I've never said that to anyone.

We had been walking for a while now and hadn't run in to the enigma or Stalker, which was probably a good thing. "Stalker is almost as legendary as Pronto," Pronto said before falling and bouncing of several mushrooms. "Yeah but for entirely different reasons," Trixie says. "Of course, Pronto is known for his undisputed magnificence," I roll my eyes at that "and stalker is known for his traps. He's probably seeded this very cave with them that is why you all must walk in the footsteps of Pronto expert – AHHHHHH! You see I've found one," Pronto says now stuck in a cage. "More like walked into one," I smirk. "This locking mechanism is way high tech but I think I see how to engineer a work around," Kord says as he takes a branch of one of the trees and starts banging it at the cage. "Huh, I can't believe that actually worked," I say.

"Well I suggest that with Eli utterly and completely useless," Pronto starts. "Dude I can still hear you know." "Uh sorry, anyway I would still suggest we leave before stalker can find us." "We can't leave, the Enigmo did this to Eli and there's no telling that it will ever were off on its own. We need to find the enigmo and work out how to cure him," Trixie said. "Yeah if stalker doesn't have it already," Kords says. "Oh I assure you he does not," Pronto says. "What makes you say that?" Eli asks. "Because it is right over there." "And it's playing on a trip wire!" Kord shouts. "You've got to be joking," this slug is an idiot. "I got it," Kord says as he jumps towards it and get shot. "Are you okay?" Eli asks. How he even knew Kord was shot was beside me. "Just a slug trank dart you know how many of these it would take to take down a cave troll," as cord says that the enigmo falls and lands on the wire making a heap of darts hit Kord, "that's about right," he finishes as he falls to the ground snoring and the enigmo goes flying off to who knows where just great.

"Come on we've got to get the enigmo before they do," Trixie says. "But we can't just leave him," Eli protests. "Trixie's right Eli Stalkers not after Kord he's after the enigmo," I Say.

"The Enigmo is close keep your eyes peeled," pronto says. "Currently the wrong guy for that job," Says Eli.

"Maybe a little zoom action will help. Yes, there it is. Uh, is this the dumbest slug in history? No wonder there's only one of them left," Trixie zooms in with her camera and I look over to were the Enigmo is. I guess Trixie was right it is the dumbest slug in history it had decided to play above a trap. I got ready to fire Zillah so she could bring the slug into the shadows and give it to me.

"It's gonna fall!" Trixie shouts running over to were the slug is and ruining my shot. Not to mention what she did was pointless as she tripped over a root and fell into one of stalkers cages. The enigmo had decided to bounce down the trees and slammed into a trunk missing the trap.

"Trixie!" Eli yelled. "I'm okay pronto it's up to you know," seriously she's leaving him in charge.

Eli and pronto quickly run of leaving me behind I don't really care but I don't think it's something the whole group would do. It doesn't matter anyway I'm in front of them within seconds.

"Hey where do you think you're going?" I hear pronto ask. "To catch that slug, what else," I reply I can see Eli give me a nasty look out of the corner of my eye. "Your just like stalker," he says. "Kid I just need some money and I can find a slug without all those traps and knocking down a forest. Plus, once I sell him I'm going to use Zillah to get him out," I explain.

"There it is!" I hear pronto almost shout as he points to the slug revealing it to about everyone in the carven.

Not a moment later two slughounds come out of the trees and pronto started whispering something about not being afraid. I just rolled my eyes and smirked looking around to find somewhere to watch the show.

I found a branch and used my Arachnet, Ito, to get up there before sitting down. It wasn't long before Pronto started running away. He didn't get far as he fell in to what I believe was one of stalkers traps.

Eli was left alone wondering what had happened asking if he had got the Enigmo. "Yes," someone said who I presume to be stalker, "I did."

He put it into one of his slug barrels and I tried to get a clear shot with Zillah but it was hard as I could hardly see the barrel from where I was.

"So that's it your just going to walk away?" Eli asked. "Finish him," stalker tells his slughounds. I wouldn't normally do this but the kid couldn't see so he was pretty much dead meat. "Wait I wasn't complaining I was just asking."

Eli used his infurnus to create a fire wall around him the only problem now was that he was stuck. So I used Tugio to get him out and up on a tree. Unfortunately the slughounds found him and climbed up the tree after him.

Eli then used his frost crawler and Arachnet to escape it was hard to keep up with him but I manage. The slughounds were thrown of the ice trail and slammed into a tree.

It seemed Stalker wasn't happy about that as he fired a rammstone slug at the trail forcing Eli's arachnet to jump of the frost crawler and on to a tree. Stalker then fired a thresher cutting the web connecting Eli and the arachnet making him fall to the ground scattering his slugs and blaster.

"No slugs no friends," stalker kicked him, "give up kid you're done can't you see that?" "Nope, can't really see much of anything," Eli responded, "and if your leaving with the enigmo your taking the best shot I got at fixing this. I know that slug is worth a lot of money to you but-" I stopped listening to Eli's speech when I saw one of his slugs swapping the enigmo with Stalkers thresher. Smart little slug, he seemed to care a lot about Eli.

"-as long as I can stand I'm not giving up." "You talk too much," stalker says, he's right Eli does talk to much, before firing the enigmo by accident.

After it hit Eli I fired Zillah who turned into a black dragon larger then most slug transformations and he brought the enigmo back to me. I then fired my frightgeist who was my second favourite slug and I had named terror at Stalker and he ran of screaming.

"You alright Shane?" I ask. "Alright? I'm great I can see again," he says as he gathers his slugs and blaster, "thanks for that."

"Look kid originally I was just going to pretend to sell the Enigmo but since you seem to care for slugs as much as I do you can have him," I say. "Really? I didn't see you as the type of person to give a slug away for free," he says. "I'm not I still want my money but after I've got it you can have him."

"You know you're not as bad as you want people to think how about instead of the money I'll give you a spot on my team. You'll have a place to stay, a meal every day, we could upgrade you blaster. You'd have a family," Eli offers. "Sounds nice but I'm not really a team player." "How 'bout you give it a go for a few days if you don't like it you can sell the enigmo."

 **...**

"So, wait the most legendary slug of legend basically just messes your eyes up and then fixes them when it hits you again?" Kord asks. "Basically," I answer. "But Imagine hitting the other guy with it first it would totally take him out of the fight," said Trixie. "And even though I couldn't see straight it was almost like it was letting me see more than normal like it was showing me something else," Eli explained. "Ah, so your saying there's more to enigmo then meets the eye," Kord says. "Well yeah if you wanna put it in the lamest way possible, sure," said Eli.

"I believe that our mechas should be right through there," said pronto who had been leading us back towards the gangs mechas.

"Oh, now this is a surprise," said a guy who was obviously looking to buy the enigmo. "Let me guess you were expecting stalker," Trixie said. "yeah, he might be a while," said Kord. "Your welcome to wait for him but he doesn't have this," Eli said as he showed them the enigmo. "Well done," the man said, "name your price." "Well considering what we went through-" Eli starts. "What the kids trying to say is we're not selling it," I cut off. "Our card for when you change your mind," the women says as she hands me a card. "Thanks, but you may be waiting a while for that one to," Eli says.

"So you never told us your real name," Kord said. "My names Leila," I say. "So that means shadow?" Trixie asked me. "No Zillah, my slug, means shadow but my names similar it means night."

* * *

 **Hey guys, right now I'm supposed to be working on Talent of Force but at the moment I'm kinda bored with it even though I've only done one chapter but I am really excited for when I get into the clone wars for that Book so the updates will get quicker. For those of you who don't have any idea what Talent of Force is, which is probably all of you, it's my Star wars Book and I'd love for you to check it out.**

 **I'm really annoyed at my laptop at the moment because I had 3 and a half chapters ready for this story, which was like 20-30 pages long, and word just quit on me so I lost everything i hadn't saved. Which was basically Chapter 2, 3 and what I had of 4 which was already several pages long. Luckily I was able to find part of chapter 2 but I still have to redo chapter 3 and 4.**

 **I'll probably update soon maybe even tomorrow if I'm lucky but this will probably be my main story just until I get Talent of Force up and running. Hope you like this one.**

 **-Fulcrum Potter**


	2. The Gang

**Chapter 2**

"So, what do you think?" Kord asked me. I had only been with the Shane gang for a couple of days and already I had room to call my own and a mecha with all the upgrades possible.

My mecha was a similar to Eli's it was tall and fast the only difference was that mine looked more like a tiger than a wolf. Also, it was mainly black with some dark blue and grey stripes.

"It's perfect," I said as I looked it over. I had become closest to Kord then any of the teams members. We both liked slugs, fighting, slugball and we both love playing around with tech.

"Hey, I was wondering I've been meaning to upgrade my blaster for a while but I've never had the parts and tools to do it. Would you mind helping me out?" I ask. "Sure, what exactly do you have planned?" He says. "Well, since I can't really pick my slug when firing and I don't really want to fire all my slugs 'till I get the right one. I was thinking I could make a device so that I could say which slug I wanted and it would scan and fire the right one," I explain. "That sounds great. I think I have somethings that could work in the backroom," Kord says.

"Alright that should do it now all we need to do is scan your slugs and record their names," Kord says as he finishes up. "Great let's start with Zillah he's my number one slug," I say.

"Woah, what sort of slugs that? I've never seen anything like him," Kord asks. "I'm not sure, I found him when I was 6 never seen anything that looks like him since," I say. "What exactly can he do?" he asks. "Well I won't give everything away but he can take people to what I call the shadow world, you're basically untouchable and unseeable there. It helped me see what was real," I answer. "How so." "Well everything real has to leave a shadow, right?"

"So, you want to test the upgrade out?" Kord asked me. "If by that you mean duel definitely."

 **...**

"You ready," I ask Kord. Everyone was here watching so I had decided to take the time to show everyone what Zillah could do. "Definitely."

Kord fired a rammstone first "Zillah, Ledo." This was going to be easy. Zillah sent out rays that made Kords rammstone turn back into its protoform. While Ledo my rammstone was still moving towards Kord. "Oh no," Kord was hit by Ledo and tumbled back.

"Wow, that was amazing! You've got one powerful slug," Eli says. "That's only half of what he can do. Care to give it a shot?" I ask. "Why not."

We walk up our spots and this time Eli is faster than Kord and I'm not able to fire back. So instead I stand my ground and the tazerling goes right though me. "Wait what!" Eli yells. "I told you he could do more, the bond we share is strong so he can share some of his powers with me though it doesn't last long as it uses up a lot of her and I should probably mention this, your talking to a shadow," I say. Eli turns to face me as the shadow me disappears. "It's a good thing I have some tricks of my own," Eli says.

He fires his infurnus at me which I had learnt was called Burpy, weird name I know, while I fired Penque at him who squirts enough water at Burpy to put his fire out and wetting Eli.

"You're good Eli but you have to know more about your slugs, which ones are good against others, for example fire and water don't mix and a slug like Zillah can only defend physical attacks. A slug that uses air would be one of the few who could touch him," I explain. "You definitely know your slugs Leila," Trixie said.

"Why are you so against joining the Shane gang?" Kord asked me at Dinner. "I've always had a hard time trusting people and I'm not really what you'd call a team player," I explain. "Well, I don't think you would come here if you didn't trust us. So what's the real reason?" Eli asked.

I look around at the people with me and I realise that I do trust them. "Well it started six years ago on my twelfth birthday. I don't remember the exact details of it, details had never been that important to me back then, but I remember who did it. I can never forget his face and the screams that started once he appeared. My whole cavern was destroyed the ceiling collapsed killing anyone in there including his men. Luckily Zillah took me in to the shadow world so I couldn't be hurt. I was the only one to make it out. Ever since then I've told myself not to get attached the less I got attached the less I got hurt." I didn't cry when I finished I had run out of tears long ago.

"If you don't mind me asking who attacked your cavern?" asked Eli. "Blakk. And he didn't just attack my cavern, kill my people, he didn't seem to care who got hurt as long as he got whatever he was looking for. Anyone who got in his way was shot down and he left with half the amount of men he had when he came."

"Well you'd be happy to know our main goal is to get rid of Blakk," Trixie says. "We could do with someone like you on our team Leila," Eli says, "So will you join us?"

"Well, if you guys are fighting Blakk I want in. Blakk needs to pay for what he has done."

* * *

 **Hey guys. I know this chapter is really short so I'm sorry there won't be any other chapters this small in the future. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **-Fulcrum Potter**


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